Tool for straightening bent beams



June 6, 1933. CQUNTRYMAN 1,912,828

TOOL FOR STRAIGHTENING BENT BEAMS Filed June 16, 1951 a (HEP I J 3 INVENTOR.

GU Y H -L'0UNTRYMHN g? 7 BY 0 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 6, 1933 EDSTATES PATENT omen GUY A. COUNTRYMAN, or ASHLAND, 01110 115001. FOR srnarenrnnme BENT BEAMS Application nieairune e, 1931. Serial No. 544,781.

This invention relates to tools for straightening bent frames, axles, and bumpers of automobiles and its principal object is to rovide asimple and practical tool particu- 5 Fairly adapted tostraighten' I-shapecl and U- shaped steel beams. The tool made-accordingfto the invention resembles in general shapeand formawrencli with a fixed and movable jaw adjustable .to different ,sized beams, and includes means especially adapt ed to rigidly hold the web portion ofchanne'l and I beams fiat against and parallel to the clamping surface of the movable jaw,

while one flange of such beam isfbacked 5 against thejmainbody of the tool, without 11 described in theappended specification and drawing forming parthereof and as more concisely pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a perspective view of the tool as used in a bent channel iron, Fig. 2 a side elevation of the tool, and Fig. 3 a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and. Fig. 5 a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig.2. Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the use of the tool in straightening the rear horn of an automobile frame, the dotted lines indicating the frame and tool after bending operations.

The tool comprises an elongated shank or body portion A formed from a prefer- 5 ably cast steel bar of I-shaped cross section rectangularly ofi'set at one end to form a fixed jaw member 2. Mounted on the shank A is a movable jaw 3 formed with a hollow enlargement 4 which sleeves over the shank A, thusproviding for the necessary longitudinal sliding movement of the movable jaw with respect to the shank and fixed jaw 2, during clamping operations of the tool. The opposite end of shank A is threaded as at 25 to facilitate attaching thereto a handle of any desired length (not shown).

The centrally disposed web portion 1' of shank A is provided on opposite sides thereof with a series of ratchet teeth 5ofl1'set with respect to each other which cooperate with a pair of oppositely disposed pivoted ratchet levers or pawl 6 carried by jaw 3 to hold the latter in any desired adjusted. position.

These pawlsare mounted onpins 8, secured in ear portions 9 of enlargement 4 for pivotal movement in and out of slots 30 com-" municating with the ratchet teeth 5. "The pawls are preferably provided with finger engaging portions 11 for manual operation thereof. A spring-pressed plunger 14 adapted to seat in a series of circular recesses 12 and thus serve as an additional locking means for the movable jawis desirable in view of the extreme stresses to which the tool is subjected. This plunger 14 is slidably guided in a bushing 15, threadedly mounted in the opening 15' in the jaw 3," and is provided with a cut-out portion 16 to co-operate with a shoulder portion 17 on the plunger and thus permitnormal engagement of the plunger with recesses 12. To effect and maintain the plunger in inoperative position", the latter is pulled outwardly and slightly turned so that shoulder 17 engagesthestraight edge of: bushing 15.

So far the arrangement described closely resembles awrench which may readily be applied to flat-or solidironbars, however, in

using such tool .for rolled bars of Uor I shaped cross sect on thereis dangerof mutilating the thin flanges thereof, particularly whereconsiderable,power is applied in rc-shaping sharply bent and twlsted beams.

To prevent such damage I providea special lever 18 pivotally mounted, cam shapedfat 19. and'countersunk a recess 20 formed in the face of a fixed jaw 2. This lever cooperateswith jaw 3 in bracing the work against distorting-turning stresses and out ofcontact with the fixed Jaw. Forexample,

mately 30 to 45 with the main body of the tool and its bearing, Lever 18 is of camshape so that spring-pressed plunger 22 will yieldingly hold the lever either out of working position in alignment with the clamping face of jaw 2, or upwardly against flange 13' of body A.

The movable aw 3 is also arranged to support a hook or supporting member 23 which is pivotally connected thereto between cars 25, by pivot pin 26. Member 23 is employed where it is desired to hook the tool to a rigid support for use in re-shaping bent curved beams. Such use of the tool is disclosed in Figure 6, the diagram of which shows tool A applied to the rear horn 31 of a bent automobile frame. The jaw of the tool is rigidly clamped to the end of the horn and member 23 of the tool is pivotally connected to a rigid support 33. WVhen tool A is movedin the direction of arrow 34 the front end of the tool is caused to move in the arc of a circle to dotted line position due to the pivotal connection of the tool with support 33 and the rigid connection of the front end of the tool with the horn 31. This circular movement is determined by the relative position of support 33 with respect to the tool and frame. Therefore by changing the relativeposition of the support with respect to the tool an operator may readily utilize the tool for re-shaping bent beams on sweeping curves of varying radii. Mounting of the hook member 23 on the movable jaw 3 as shown in the drawing is preferred, where .the tool is to be used for re-shaping bent curved beams to curves of substantial radii.

What I claim is:

1. A frame and aXle straighteningtool,

iron bar for clamping and holding the web portion of said iron bar against and parallel to the clamping surface of said second jaw wlthout engagement of said first jaw with said iron bar.

2. A frame and axle straightening tool,.

comprising a main body shaped at one end to form -a jaw, a second adjustably mounted on said main body, and supporting means pivotallysecured to said tool for pivotally attaching said tool to a support while re-shaping curved bent beams to varying radii.

3. A frame and axle straightening tool, comprising a main body shaped at one end to form a jaw, a second jaw adjustably mounted in said main body and co-operating with said first jaw and elongated means pivotally connected with said first jaw adapted to engage the inside of a channeled iron bar and force same against the main body ofthe'tool and sai-dyseeond jaw parallel to the clamping surface thereof, without engagement of said'first jaw with said bar.

4. A frame and axle straightening tool, comprising a wrenchhaving a fixed and a slidable jaw, means pivotally connected to the body of said wrench, co-operating with said slidable jaw in rigidly holdinga channel bar parallel to the clamping surface of said slidable jaw, and means pivotally connected to said slidable jaw for pivotally supporting said tool when gripping a bent beam to effect movement of said tool on a circle around its support during reshaping operations of said beam. 7

A frame and aXle straightening tool, comprising a main body provided with ratchet teeth and a series of circular recesses and shaped at one end to form a jaw, a second jaw adjustably mounted on said main body and co-operating withsaid first jaw, and elongated means pivotally connected with said first jaw' adapted to engage the inside of a channeled iron bar and force same against the main body of the tool and said second jaw parallel to the clamping surface thereof, said second jaw including at oppositely arranged sides pawls adapted to engage the ratchet teeth of said f main body and additional locking means co-operating with said circular recesses'in said main body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa.

ture.

GUY A. COUNTRYMAN. 

